Sheet-separating apparatus



ct. 20, 1931'. F. D. KINNEY 1,827,753

SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1928 Patented 20,1931

UNITED sTATEsrATENr' OFFICE FLY Il). XINNEY, 0F WENHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, AJBSIGNB T0 UITED SHOE MA- CHINERY COBPORATION,-OF PATTERSON,- NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION F NEW SHEET-SEPARATING APPARATUS Application med December 5, 1928. Serial No. 894,027.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating adhering sheeets of material, a particularly useful application being found in connection with rubberized insoles for shoes,

3 to which insoles are attached protective sheets of paper. In producing such workpieces, a stackof sheets of insole-material, separated from one another by sheets of paper to prevent them from sticking together,

l0 are subjected to the action of a die'ingout apparatus, each die cutting simultaneously 1a plurality of insoles. Each ofthe cut insoles ordinarly bears upon its coated face a cut pa er-piece, and this must be removed 5 before t e insole is utilized. This separating operation, as it has been performed manually, consumes considerable time, since the adhesion is strong, especially at the edges where the die forced the sheets together in o making the cut. An object of my invention is to prbvide for the effective separation of adhering sheets much more speedily than when done by hand. For the attainment of the above object, 5 I provide, in a separating apparatus, a novel or anization which has co-operating rotatabe separating members, and means for retaining sheets 1n engagement with each member, said means being constructed and ar`- D ranged to render the retention of the sheets effective during a portion only of the rotary movement of the member, the time of action best being variable. A separating force is thus exerted first, the sheets acted upon being thereafter released to allow their disposal. Preferably, there are co-o erating separating members, furnished in t e illustrated embodiment of the invention by rotatable rolls; and the retaining means, which is effective only about that portion of the periphery adjacent to the bite of the rolls, acts through openings, as bv the creation of a suction therethrough. This draws the sheets .'apart, they following the surfaces of the rolls as they rotate. The separation having been thus started, at least one of the sheets may be further held in engagement with its roll, tol elevate it and maintain the separation, as by a belt operating in contact with the roll "beyond the ield of action of the primary retaining means. This secondary retaining means or belt I have shown as causing the delivery of the separated sheets at the incoming side of the rolls, where they may be received and removed by a conveyor. A conveyor at the opposite or outgoin side may receive the other se arated sheet o each pair. Since the protective sheets are commonly coated with paraiiin or some other wax, the separation is facilitated and the strength of the suction necessary is reduced, by heating the sheets in preparation for their presentationto the action of the suction. Whatever the separating means employed, I prefer to apply the heat by a conveyor-belt or belts,

which deliver the sheets for separation. One

of these conveyor-belts may also serve to receive sheets from the separating means, to remove them after their separation.

One of the several forms which my invention may aume is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 being a vertical longitudinal section on the line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2, a full transverse section on the linev II-II of Fig. 1; and

co-operating suction-openings of the two rolls.-

' applied to thel shaft of the lower roll ya pulley 18 fast upon it, motion being trans-l rred to the upper roll through spur-gearing Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional detail through l In a base-frame is journaled a lower 19. The rolls are each provided with sheeti retaining means, which maybe identical for both. Exten longitudinally of each roll are series of ripheral suction-openings 20, these series being shown as parallel to the axis of rotation, and therefore to each other. Both .the series and the openings in the series are relatively closely spaced, so that a substantially continuous suction eect may be produced upon sheets passing between the rolls. The openings continue inward radially to meet passages 22, one .for each series and extending'along said series, parallel to the axis of their roll. For the respectlve rolls, all the'passages are open at vone extremity and closed at the other. The open ends of the passages, which are` at the opposlte ex- X tremit-ies of the two rolls, co-operate with a suction device consisting of a cylindrical head24 surrounding the shaft of the associated rollY and having a nished surface contacting with a like surface upon the adjacent end of.the roll. A` substantially air-tlght joint is furnished by forcing these surfaces together by a spring 26 for each of the lower and upper suction devices. The roll 12 apears as splined to move longitudinally of its shaft, the spring being interposed between it and nuts 28 threaded upon the shaft, these nuts permitting the force exerted by the spring to be adjusted. The roll 14 is secured against movement upon' its shaft, and the other spring 26 acts upon the head 24, be-

ing adjusted by nuts 28 similarly to the companion spring. The heads 24 are each movable along the corresponding roll-shaft, to permit them to make more perfect contact with the adjacent roll-surface, and are held 30 against rotation by pins 29 projecting respectively from the frame 10 and from one of the arms 16 and entering openings in the heads.

Each pin is preferably made adjustable circumfereitially of its roll by being secured in a curved slot 31 formed in its supporting y part. In each head, opening through-the side co-operating with the roll, is a chamber 30,k so located that it' communicates with the passages 22 connecting with the openings 2O 40 which are adjacent to the bite of therolls at the outgoing side. In the present instance, three series of the openings maybe in simulupon the sheets may be varied by altering the angular positions of the heads 24 under the control of the pins 29.

The force necessary-to draw the sheets 80 apart may be much reduced by the application to them of heat before they come under the iniiuence of the separating rolls. This is especiallytrue when the protective papersheet carries a coating of such a wax as paraim. ATo heat the sheets, there is illustrated bers The times at which the suction actsin Fig. 1 a horizontally extendin feed-conveyor 34 of the belt= type, reac g rearwardly to a convenient distance, and at the end next to the separating rolls passing over guide-rolls 36 and 38. The roll 38 is of comparatively small diameter, permitting the conveyor 34 to be Brought in .close proximity to the separating rolls to facilitate the de.

ABetween the runs of the belt 44 is a heating table or chest 48, similar to that associated 'with the lower belt. Both the belts 34 and 44 may be formed of sheet-metal,

this allowing them to most eiiicientlycommunicate the heat from the steam-tables to the work. Travel of the adjacent surfaces of the belts at the same speed toward the separating rolls is produced by a sprocketgearing 50 joining the shafts of the rolls 12 and 36, and a chain of spur-gearing 52 between the shafts of the rolls 36 and 46. The adheringsheets are introduced betweenV the outer receiving ends of the conveyors, and are carried by these, for the proper distance, under the influence of the heat from the tables 40 and 48. This renders somewhat fluid the coating of the paper-sheets, and'also probably the rubberized coating of the insoles,

reducing the adhesion between these sheets,

so that, when they emerge from, between thebelts and are delivered to", the rolls 12 and 14, they are in Ycondition for relatively easy separation. y

At the outgoing side of the separating rolls 12 and 14, the insoles or other work-pieces are advanced over an apron `54 upon chainconveyors 56, which carry the pieces freed from their protective sheets, .away from the rolls and deliver them to a receptacle... The

ends Vof the paper-sheets, carriedY upward for l a time by the suction through :the openings of the roll 14, enter a throat formedl between the yrising periphery of the roll and a retainin belt 58, which partially surrounds said ro l. The belt 58 operates over a roll 60, journaled in thearm's 16 above the roll 14, and

,over rolls 62 and 64, rotatable, respectively,

near the' center and at the lower extremities of opposlte angular arms 66, 66 pivotedabout such relatively small diameter that it may be brought close to the bite of the separating rolls to receive the upturned end of the papersheets before they ,are fullyreleased by the suction. The roll 62 is shownas adjustable in slots 67 in its arms, this permitting slack in the belt to be taken up, To advance the the shaft ofthe roll 60. The roll 64 is of belt`58, the roll 60 is rotated at substantially erating rotatable separating rolls each prothe peripheral speed of the roll 14 b sprocket-gearing 68 from the shaft of said roll. The paper-sheets having been received between the belt 58 and roll 14, they are conducted upwardly away from the insoles upon the conveyor 56 until they-reach the top of the roll. Here they are removed by a chute 70, which directs them upon the upper run of the heating belt 44. This is traveling rearwardl and conducts the paper-sheets to a po1nt at which they may be collected.

To briefly outline the general operation of the apparatus, adhering sheets, such as insoles S with protective pieces s of paraffin paper, are fed one by one between the belts 34 and 44, with the protective sheets uppermost.' These belts convey the pieces along the heat-ing tables 40 and 48, bringing both sheets to such a temperature that much o their adhesiveness is destroyed. The heating belts deliver the sheets prepared for separation between the rolls 12 and 14. When the forward ends emerge from between the rolls, both sheets come under the iniuence of the suction through the chambers 30 and the passages 22 and openings 2O at that time connected with the chambers. The insole is thus temporarily retained in contact with the roll 12, and the paper-sheet with the roll 1 4. Just as the insole is freed from the suct1on by the passage of the openings 20 beyond the chamber 30, it is received upon the apron 54, where it is held by its weight against following the paper-sheet. The lat.- ter, when relieved from the suction, has entered the throat between the belt 58 aifrl/the roll 14, and its travel consequently continues y upwardly in engagement with the roll and belt until, reachlng the end of the latter, it falls upon the upper run of the conveyor 44 and is delivered at the opposite side of the machine from the insoles.

having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sheet-separating apparatus, co-operating rotatable separating members, means for retaining adherlng sheets in engagement with each member, said means being\con structed and arranged to render the retention of 'the sheetsv effective during a portion only of the rotary movement of the members, and means associated with one of the members only for further retaining the sheets in engagement with it.

2. Ina sheet-separating apparatus, co-operating rotatable'separating'rolls each provided with openings, sheet-retaining means associated with the openings and acting at points opposite each other on said sheets, and sheet-retaining means associated with a roll beyond said openings.

' 3. In a sheet-separating apparatus, co-opvided with openings, sheet-retaining means associated with the openings and effective only adjacent to the bite of the' rolls, and

sheet-retaining means associated with said openings at a point removed from the bite of the rolls.

4. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a rotatable separating roll provided with openings, means for creating a suction through the openings, said suction means being' ar ranged to causethe roll to elevate separated sheets, and means for holding sheets against the ascending surface of the roll.

5. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a pair of co-operating rotatable separating rolls each provided with openings, and means for creating a suction through the openings, said suction being eiective only adjacent to the bite of the rolls.

6. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a pair of rotatable separatin rolls provided with openings in their perip eries, a suction-head co-operating with each roll and ixed relatively to its rotation, said head being arranged to create a suction through the rollopenings as they pass it, and retaining means for the sheets after they pass from the influence of the head, said retaining means contacting with one of the rolls.

7. In an apparatus for separating rubberized insoles and protective paper-sheets, a pair of co-operating rotatable separating rolls, between which adhering insoles and sheets are passed, each provided with series of o enings in its periphery, a passage connecting the openings of each series, a head co-operating with an end of each roll and having a chamber into registration with which the passages revolve, a suction-conduit connected to each chamber, and a belt contacting with one of the rolls over the passages after they have left the chamber.

8. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a rotatable separating roll provided with sheetretaining means effective about a portion only of the periphery of the roll, and a" belt extending in contact with the roll about its periphery beyond the field of action of the retaining means and arranged to direct separated sheets over'the surface of the roll.

9. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a rotatable separating roll provided with sheetretaining means effective about aportion only of the periphery of the roll, a belt operating in contact with the roll beyond/the field of action of the retaining means,'and a conveyor to which the sheets are delivered by the belt and roll, A

10. In a 'sheet-operating apparatus, rotatable upper and lower separating rolls each provided with retaining means effective only adjacent to the bite of the rolls, and means for directing separated sheets over the top of the upper roll.

11. In a sheet-separating apparatus, rotatable upper and lower separating rolls eachA provided with retaining means effective only adjacent to the bite of the rolls, means for directing separated sheets over the top of the upper roll, and a conveyor receiving said sheets at the incoming side of the rolls.

K 12. In a sheet-separating apparatus, rotatable upper and lower separating rolls each provided with retaining means efective only y adjacent to the bite of vthe rolls, means for directing separated sheets over the top of the v upper roll, and conveyors at the opposite sides of the rolls to receive the 4sheets from the upper and lower rolls respectively.

13. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a rotatable separating roll provided with openings, means for creating a suction through the openings, means for lpresenting sheets to the roll-openings, and means for heating the sheets in preparation for their presentation to the action of the suction.

14. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a pair of co-operating rotatable separating rolls each provided with openings,means for creating a suction through the openings of each roll, and means for heating opposite sides of the sheets in preparation for their co-operation with the openings.

15. In a sheet-separating apparatus, sheetseparating means, a conveyor delivering to the separating means, and means for heating the conveyor. e p

I6.' In a sheet-separating apparatus, a pair 'of rotatable separating rolls, a conveyonbelt delivering sheets between the rolls, and means for heating the belt. 17. In an apparatus for separating rubberized insoles and adhering sheets of paraffin-paper, sheet-separating means, adjacent conveyor-belts arranged to receive sheets between them and to deliver to the se arating means, and means for heating each belt.

18. In a sheet-separating apparatus, a pair of rot'atable separating rolls, a conveyor-belt delivering sheets between the rolls, and a heating chamber situated between the upper and lower runs of the conveyor-belt.

19. In a sheet-separating apparatus, sheetseparating means, a conveyor delivering to the separatlng means, and means for heating the conveyor, the separating means being arranged to deliver separated sheets to the conveyor.

20. In a sheet-separating apparatus, rotatable upper and lower separating rolls each provided with retaining means effective only adjacent to the bite of the rolls, means for directing separated sheets over the top of the upper roll, a conveyor receiving said sheets at the incoming side of the rolls, and means for heating the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FAY D. KINNEY.` 

